Page 10 of Such a Tempting Omega

Hirsch

After a full day of applications and walking, I should’ve been dead on my feet. I watched some videos on my phone and read a bit of a book, but my thoughts were constantly interrupted by Liam.

The way he spoke to me. There was no one else on the earth when he looked into my eyes. No other people. No whisper of not having a job or a life. Kyle didn’t even exist on the same plane as him.

I put my phone down and wondered if he was at the club tonight.

One way to find out.

In less than an hour, I’d showered and got into my club attire. I had the best of the best, thanks to Kyle even though I didn’t participate in any of his pleasures or preferences.

I used the excuse of not liking them to get out of it but the truth was, Kyle liked to play with other people. In front of me. Behind my back. All of the above.

I thought he never really liked me. In fact, there was a part of me that thought Kyle hated me. That’s why he played with my emotions, my heart. He never cared for me. I was something he could manipulate and puppeteer. A toy.

I threw a light jacket over my outfit and headed toward the club. This time, my walk wasn’t fueled by survival, but instead, great want. Desire. Passion.

Despite my hesitations, I wanted to see if Liam was there. Get to know him better.

What made him tick. In life. In the club. In love.

All the ticking.

I arrived at the club more nervous than when I’d left my house. I wanted a drink and maybe a snack, but the guilt of putting those things on Kyle’s tab made me sick, even after everything he’d done to me. Stealing was stealing.

“I was hoping to see you here tonight.” Liam’s velvet voice dragged over my skin from behind me. My heart thrummed. He was here and he’d been drawn to me like a moth to a flame.

“Hello.” I turned. “I just got here.”

“Good. No one has tried to scoop you up yet.” His eyes roamed my form. My wolf preened inside me, wishing he was the one being inspected. From the smile on Liam’s face, I knew he liked what he saw. In my eyes, I was skinnier than I should’ve been. Could use more muscle tone. Could use a haircut. All of that.

“No one but you.”

He took my hand and began to lead me away. “What a lucky man I am. I’m sitting in a booth over here with Andreas. Can I please buy you a drink?”

I nodded and let him bring me to a table that was in shadow. It was intimate and private but at the same time in the middle of the club. The lights, purple and turquoise made everything seem elusive and exciting.

I would miss this place, if for nothing else, for the atmosphere.

Cuffed was a place where everyone could be exactly who they were. No explanations. No hiding things or having your preferences shoved in a corner. People could show themselves here without fear of consequences, as long as they didn’t disobey the rules, of course. Rules that were in place to protect everyone.

“I would love a drink. Thank you.”

“How about a snack? Something more?”

“That would be great.”

My wolf went nuts when he offered us food. Being fed by someone else was big for shifters, but in my wolf’s mind, he was offering a lot more than chips and salsa. He was taking care of us.

The waiter came over and Liam asked me what I wanted instead of ordering for me. He didn’t bat an eye when I asked for the sliders and another fruity drink, much like the one I had the night I spilled it on him.

We were served in no time. While we ate, Liam and I chatted. “You know where I work but where do you work, Hirsch?”

His question hit me in the gut. He meant no harm. Liam came off as the sweetest man on the planet but at the same time strong and sexy. He probably didn’t know the depth of my embarrassment about not being employed. “I’m in between jobs.” I laughed, hearing my own lie. “The truth is, I’m unemployed. I was in a relationship…he didn’t want me to work, and now I’m trying to find a job from scratch. No education. Hardly any former employment. The convenience store you dropped me off at?”

He nodded and put his hand on my thigh. It took everything I had in me to stay on my line of thought with him touching me. “Yeah?”

“I was applying for jobs all day. That was one of my last stops. I wasn’t going to shop. I was trying to find a place to work.”

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